Underhose



E. M. RODEE De c. 9; 1924.

UNDERHOSE Fjiled Feb 25, 1924 portion or at the Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES ELIZABETH M. BOEEE, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSTN.

UNDERHOSE.

Application filed To all whom it may concea -01,:

Be it known that I, ELIZABETH M. RODEE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underhose; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to leg underwear.

It frequently happens that it is desirable tovwear, beneath the usual stocking of a woman, a second auxiliary stocking for the purpose of providing warmth, for instance, without detracting from the ornamental ap-- pearance of the main stocking. Attempts have been made to provide this article, but it has been found that, although the coloring may be exactly what is desired, that the articles, as heretofore constructed, have the defect of wrinkling or bunching, particularly at the instep and exposed portions of the stockings, thus materially detracting from the attractive appearance of the main stocking and occasioning, in addition, discomfort to the wearer.

In addition to these defects, the present types of auxiliary stocking crowds the foot adjacent the ball and heel portion, frequently wrinkling or bunching in these portions. This crowding or' wrinkling at these portions will cause considerable discomfort to the wearer and preclude the use of such articles even if the unsightly appearance were discounted.

This invention is designed to overcome the above noted defects, and objects of such invention are to provide an auxiliary stocking or leg underwear in which there is no wrinkling at the instep or exposed portion of the article, in which there is no bunching or additional thickness provided at the heel ball of the foot, and in constructed that it which the stocking is so smoothly across the will automatically draw instep and prevent wrinkling under all conditions.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the auxiliary stocking as it appears when in place.

Figure 2 is. a side elevation to an enlarged scale showing, by means of arrows, the direction of stresses in the article.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the structure shown in Figure 1. a

February 23, 1924. Serial No. 694,690.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the blank from which the auxiliary stocking is.

shaped or made.

Figures 5 and 6 are two views illustrating the action of the knitted goods when subjected to stress.

Before describing the article forming the subject matter of this invention, the action of knitted goods under stress will first be discussed.

Figure 5 shows a piece of untensioned knitted goods.

Figure 6 shows the same strip of goods when tension is applied in the direction of the arrows A and B. This tension results in an elongation of the strip and a conseguent and necessary shortening of the strip in the other direction, thus 'showingthat stresses or forces are exerted upon the strip in the direction of the arrows C and D tending to narrow the strip due to the longitudinal tension. As will be seen from Figure 6, it is apparent that the stretching longitudlnally of the strip necessarily produces the shortening or narrowing of the strip in a direction at right angles thereto. I have made use of this principle in the construc tion of my auxiliary stocking or leg underwear.

This auxiliary stocking comprises a leg portion 1 and a foot portion 2. The foot portion is cut out at the heel to provide a circular aperture 3 of lesser extent than the heel thus permitting the heel to protrude therethrough.

The forward portion of the foot is also cut away along the curved lines,

as indicated at 4:, to provide a forward curved aperture through which the toes and forward portion of the foot protrude. It is to be particularly noted, with reference to Figure 3, that the lower portion of the cut away forward partexposes the ball of the foot, and does not provide additional thickness of the material at this point. From reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, it is apparent that the heel is also unobstructed and is not crowded by the auxiliary stocking.

However, the main effect of these cut away portions is illustrated by the arrows in Figure 2. It will be seen from an inspection of such figure that when the auxiliary stocking is applied, the heel 5, which is in the nature of a sphere, projects through the aperture 3 and thus elongates the knit fabric in the direction of the arrows E and F or, in other words, peripherally of the apertures '3. This produces a tensioning and shortening of the knitted fabric along the lines indicated by the arrow G in Figure 2, and thus causes the fabric to be drawn yieldingly and firmly across the instep and precludes wrinkling.

It is further to be noted that when the tapering front portion 6 of the foot is projected throughthe forward aperture 4 that such forward aperture is elongated peripherally or stretched along the lines indicated by the arrows H and J. This elongation and tensioning of the knitted fabric at this point produces a shortening and a tensioning of the knitted fabric in the general direction of the arrow K in Figure 2, and thus causes the drawing of the auxiliary stocking longi- 'tudinally and downwardly over the instep,

thus further guarding against wrinkling.

It will be seen, therefore, that the ten sioning and shortening of the knitted fabric along the general lines G and K, as indicatedin Figure 2, causes the fabric over the instep to be yieldingly tensioned and thus prevents wrinkling under all conditions.

The pattern used in. making the stocking is indicated at 7 in Figure 4, and it will be seen that it comprises a leg portion and a foot portion which follow along the usual lines except for the heel and toe portion.

The pattern is provided with a curved cut away portion 8 adjacent the heel and with a reversely cut away-portion 9 adjacent the toe to form the stocking, as indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In actual use it has been found that an auxiliary stocking, constructed in accordance with this invention, is absolutely free from wrinkling and does not offer any discomfort to the wearer for the reason that the stocking is so constructed that a shortening and tensioning of the knitted fabric over the instep is secured by expanding and peripheral tensioningof the heel and toe apertured portions.

Although the invention has been described cent parts of the encircling foot portion is secured and wrinkling is prevented, the foot portion of the stocking covering the entire instep and the upper part of the foot to adjacent the toes, said foot portion having an extensive bottom extending from beneath the heel to the base of the toes, whereby the peripheral elongation of the encircling parts of the stocking adjacent the heel and toe produces a yielding tensioning of the exten-. sive bottom portion.

In testimony that I claim the foregomg I have hereunto set my hand at Mil'waukee,in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin. i p

' ELIZABETH M. RDDEE. I 

